Metal construction element



March 6, 1962 D. c. MUESSEL 3,023,859

METAL CONSTRUCTION ELEMENT Original Filed June 24, 1957 I/IIIIIIIIIIIIII'I/ 4r /0, I

Q 3 Q INVENTOR. a 08w BY 3,023,859 METAL CQNSTRUQTION ELEMENT Dan C. Muessel, Niles, Mich, assignor to Kawneer Company, Niles, Mich, a corporation of Delaware flriginal application June 24, 1957, Ser. No. 667,495, new

Patent No. 2,983,969, dated May 16, 1961. Divided and this application Sept. '7, 1969, filer. No. 54,425

4 (Ilaiins. (Cl. 18934) The present invention relates to building construction elements and more particularly to a new and improved elongated extruded metal construction element of low cost construction which may be used for many difierent structural purposes in fabricating building and window frames. This application is a division of copending application Serial No. 667,496, filed June 24, 1957 now Patent No. 2,983,969 and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved extruded metal construction element of low cost construction which may be used for a number of different purposes and which has a high degree of versatility.

It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved extruded metal construction element of hollow rectangular section which is adapted to receive the edges of and support glass or other panel elements disposed on opposite sides of the section.

The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a vertical mullion embodying an elongated extruded metal construction element characterized by the features of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional View of the present improved extruded metal construction element.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown an elongated vertical mullion it} of hollow tubular construction having respectively located in opposite sides thereof a set of glazing channels 12 and 12d. It will be noted that while the channel 12d is substantially the same as channel 12, i.e., it is provided with grooves in the side walls thereof; it is appreciably more shallow than the channel 12. There is thus provided between the bottom portions of the channels 12 and 12d a space in which may be mounted, if desired or required, a channel-shaped steel reinforcement bar 11. As shown, the bar 11 is suitably attached to the mullion it) by a plurality of spatially arranged screws 13 extending into suitable apertures in the bottom of the glazing channels 12 and 12d.

In using the vertical mullion in a flush glazing arrangement in which a plurality of adjacent windows or panels are provided, the mullions 10 are spaced along the wall of the building and are so oriented that the deep channels 12 all face in the same direction, i.e., for each window there are provided opposing deep and shallow glazing channels. Therefore, the vertical mullions may all be installed before the glass panes are mounted in the unit. In order to mount the panes in the frames, the panes are each slidably moved at an angle into the bottom of the deep channel and then swung into place opposite the opposing channel 12d, the resilient gaskets 14 having previously been mounted in the channels 12 and 12d. Thereafter, the pane is slidably moved into the bottom of the shallow channel 12d and resilient gaskets 15 are forced into place to complete the unit. It may thus be seen that by providing both a shallow and a deep glazing channel in each mullion 10, sufficient space is provided between the opposing glazing channels 12 and ice 12d to accommodate the reinforcement 11, if required, while at the same time minimizing the overall width of the mullion in the flush glazing design.

More specifically and as best shown in FIG. 2, the mullion 16 is in the form of an elongated extruded metal construction element having a generally rectangular hollow section made up of two external U-shaped parts 16 and 17 and two internal U-shaped parts 18 and 19 which are disposed within the section and are provided with base parts tiia and 1911 which are disposed in substantially parallel spaced apart relationship. The external U-shaped parts 16 and 17 are respectively provided with legs 16a, 16b and 17a, 17b which extend toward each other in spaced apart parallel planes and have spaced apart ends adapted to receive the edges of the glass panel elements therebetween on opposite sides of the section. Thus, the legs 16a and 17a extend toward each other in the same plane and are provided with spaced apart ends or edges 16c and 17c which are spaced apart as shown to receive the edge of a panel element therebetween. Similarly, the legs 16b and 17b extend toward each other in another plane which is parallel to the plane occupied by the legs 16a and 17a and are provided with spaced apart ends or edges 16d and 17d to receive the edge of a second panel element thereoetween.

As shown, the legs of the internal U-shaped parts 18 and 19 extend toward but are displaced from the adjacent leg ends of the external U-shaped parts. Thus, the internal U-shaped part 18 is provided with legs 18b and 180 which extend toward the leg ends 16c and 170, respectively, of the legs 16a and 17a, and are respectively provided with ends 18d and Me which are displaced from the leg ends 16c and 170. Similarly, the internal U-shaped part 19 is provided with legs 1% and 19c which extend toward the leg ends 16d and 17d, respectively, of the legs 16b and 17b, and are respectively provided with ends 19d and 192 which are displaced from the leg ends 16:! and 17d. As will be noted, the end surfaces of the leg ends and 16d are substantially coplanar with the inner surfaces of the legs 18b and 19b and the end surfaces of the leg ends 17c and 170. are substantially coplanar with the inner surfaces of the legs 18c and 19c. By virtue of this coplanar relationship, coupled with the displacing of the ends of the legs of the internal U-shaped parts from the ends of the legs of the external U-shaped parts, it becomes feasible to form the grooves 20, 21, 22 and 23 for receiving the resilient securing strips 14 and 15 by providing connecting parts 24, 25, 2d and 27 integrally to join the leg ends of the internal U-shaped parts with the legs of the external U-shaped parts at points spaced back from the ends of the last-mentioned legs. More specifically, the connecting part 24 is formed to extend at right angles to the legs 16a and 18b, and integrally joins the leg 13b with the leg 16a at a point spaced back from the leg end 16c to define the groove 20 between the leg ends 16c and 18d. Similarly, the connecting part 25 is formed to extend at right angles to the legs 17a and 18c, and integrally joins the leg 18c with the leg 17a at a point spaced back from the leg end to define the groove 21 between the leg ends 17c and 13s. In a like manner, the connecting part 26 is formed to extend at right angles to the legs 16b and 19b, and integrally joins the leg 19b with the leg 16b at a point spaced back from the leg end 16d to define the groove 22 between the leg ends 16d and 19d. Finally, the connecting part 27 is formed to extend at right angles to the legs 17b and 190, and integrally joins the leg with the leg 17b at a point spaced back from the leg end 117d, thereby to define the groove 23 between the leg ends 19e and 17d.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An integral elongated extruded metal construction element having a generally rectangular hollow section whichcomprises two external U-shaped parts, the legs of which extend toward each other in two spaced apart planes and are provided with spaced apart ends adapted to receive the edges of panel elements therebetween on opposite sides of said section, two oppositely facing internal U-shaped parts disposed within said section between said planes substantially at right angles to said external U-shaped parts and spanning the spaces between the leg ends of said external U-shaped parts to receive the edges of said panel elements therewithin, the legs of each of said internal U-shaped parts extending toward but being displaced from the adjacent leg ends of said external U-shaped parts, and connecting parts integrally joining the ends of the legs of the internal U-shaped parts and portions of the legs of the external U-shaped parts spaced inwardly from the ends of said last mentioned legs, thereby to define grooves adjacent the leg ends of the external and internal U-shaped parts for the reception of panel element securing means therewithin.

2. An extruded metal construction element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner facing surfaces of the legs of said internal U-shaped parts are substantially coplanar with the end surfaces of the adjacent ends of the legs of said external U-shaped parts, and wherein each of said connecting parts includes two integral portions extending substantially normal to the legs of the U-shaped parts to which they are respectively connected.

3. An integral elongated extruded metal construction element having a generally rectangular hollow section which comprises two external U-shaped parts, the legs of which extend toward each other in two spaced apart planes and are provided with spaced apart ends adapted to receive the edges of panel elements therebetween on opposite sides of said section, two internal U-shaped parts disposed within said section between said planes substantially at right angles to said external U-shaped parts and with their base portions facing each other and disposed in spaced apart relationship, the legs of each of said internal U-shaped parts extending toward but being displaced from the adjacent leg ends of said external U-shaped parts, and connecting parts integrally joining the ends of the legs of the internal U-shaped parts and portions of the legs of the external U-shaped parts spaced inwardly from the ends of said last mentioned legs, thereby to define grooves adjacent the leg ends of the first and second U-shaped parts for the reception of panel element securing means therewithin.

4. An integral elongated extruded metal construction element having a generally rectangular hollow section which comprises two identical external U-shaped parts, the legs of which extend toward each other in two spaced apart planes and are provided with equally spaced apart ends adapted to receive the edges of panel elements therebetween on opposite sides of said section, two internal U-shaped parts disposed within said section between said planes substantially at right angles to said external U-shaped parts and with their base portions disposed in substantially parallel spaced apart relationship, the inner facing surfaces of the legs of the internal U-sliaped parts being coplanar with the end surfaces of the ends of the legs of the external U-shaped parts, the legs of each of said internal U-shaped parts extending toward but being displaced from the adjacent leg ends of said external U-shaped parts, and connecting parts integrally joining the ends of the legs of the internal U-shaped parts and portions of the legs of the external U-shaped parts spaced inwardly from the ends of said last mentioned legs, thereby to define grooves adjacent the leg ends ofthe external and internal U-shaped parts for the reception of panel element securing means therewithin, each of said connecting parts including two portions extending substantially normal to the legs of the U-shaped parts to which they are respectively connected.

No references cited. 

